Process of making alkali albuminate.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO SIEBOLD, OF LEIPSI O, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF MAKING ALKALI ALBUMINATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,852, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed July 29, 1898. Serial No. 687,211. (SpecimensJ To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO SIEBOLD, a subject of the King of Saxony, and a resident of Leipsic, in the Kingdom of. Saxony, German Empire, have invented an improved Process for the Production of Alkali Compounds of Albuminous Substances, (for which patents have been applied for in Germany on the 12th of January, 1898, and in France on the 14th of July, 1898,) of which the following is an exact specification.

This invention relates to the art of preparing albuminous compounds with especial reference to the manufacture of alkali compounds of the albumens or protein bodies designed for various technical uses and in particular for use as articles of food.

Various methods have hitherto been devised for obtaining soluble alkali compounds of the albumens having acid properties in a palatable condition and so that their pure taste may be preserved. The ditficulty of the problem thus presented is due to the fact that in neutralizing and dissolving the precipitated albumens a slight excess of alkali will cause decompositions, which occur even at ordinary temperatures, but particularly on heating and evaporating. These decompositions render the resultant product useless and especially unfit as articles of food. It has been ascertained, moreover, that not onlythe slightest excess of free alkali will lead to such decomposition, but that the alkaline carbonates will act on the albumens in precisely the same manner in this respect Furthermore, such decompositions will occur even when no excess of alkali or alkaline carbonates estimated for the entire bulk of albumen is added if there exists a local excess of such alkalies or alkaline carbonates. Such local excess will invariably produce local decompositions, which will render the albuminous compound worthless. Under the methods hitherto employed such local excesses and resultant decompositions cannot be avoided, even where the total alkali or alkaline carbonate is not in excess with respect to the total quantity of albumen treated, for the reason that the mixing of the alkali or alkaline carbonate with the albumen cannot ordinarily keep pace with the decomposition of the albumen due to lo cal excesses. This is a serious drawback, and

the problem therefore that, presents itself is how to avoid these local decompositions of the proteids. Various methods have been proposed to attain this end and to circumvent the difficulties outlined above. Thus it has been proposed to avoid an excess of alkali by providin g an indicator for determining when the exact estimated amount of alkali has been resultant product, so as to render it unfit or atleastundesirable forconsumption. Again, it has been proposed to meet this difficulty by preparing salt-like compounds of casein with ammonia. erty of not inducing a proteiddecomposition even when employed in excess and that any excess of the same may subsequently be readily removed by reason of its volatile properties. These am moniu m-salts of casein are,however,not desirable as food compounds.

Now it is the purpose of this invention to combine acid albumens with fixed alkalies in a practicable and economic manner, so that resultant products are obtained which are entirely free from products of decomposition, and hence marketable for use in the arts and as food compounds on account of their purity and unobjectionable taste.

This invention is based on the discovery made by me that carbonic acid acts as a retarding agent against the decomposition due to excess of alkalies when in contact with albumens. As has been found by me, such decompositions, general or local, may be checked if means can be devised to maintain a constant and sufficiently intimate contact between the carbon dioxid and the albumen at all points where any decomposition would be likely to ensue, due to alkaline excess. The presence of the carbon dioxid or carbonic This volatile base has the propacid in the above-indicated intimate manner will, as I have found, prevent decomposition even if a considerable excess of alkali is employed and the process is carried out at higher temperatures. This action of the carbon dioxid is suffioiently retarding in its action to give the alkali employed sufficient time to thoroughly act upon the albumen without involving the danger of any general or local decomposition. Thus all violent or hasty reactions which might lead to a less perfect product are avoided. For the purpose of utilizing this property first recognized by me this invention involves the mixing of albuminous substances in a putty-like and somewhat moist condition-that is, in a condition similar to thick paste or doughwith an alkaline bicarbonate in so thorough a manner that carbon dioxid will be evolved and permeate the entire mass of the albumen in the form of numerous bubbles, which, on account of the putty-like and somewhat moist consistence of the ball or lump of albu-- men and alkaline bicarbonate cannot escape, and thus converts the whole into a spongy cellular mass much the same as dough is raised by the action of leavens, yeast, or yeastpowders. This action may be accelerated by heating the albumen lump without incurring the danger of inducing decomposition, since the carbon dioxid which now permeates every part of the mass is an etfective check to such injurious action, while at the same time the combination of the alkali of the bicarbonate with the albumen takes place in the usual manner. The masses so treated are then dried at ordinary or higher temperatures, and the tough impervious skin or film thus formed on the said masses is a further aidin retaining the carbon dioxid within the mass.

It will, moreover, be found of advantage in many cases to further prevent the dissipation of any carbon dioxid from the mass by enveloping the same in a carbon-dioxid atmosphere-that is, an atmosphere composed of or containing carbon dioxid or conducting a current of such carbon dioxid atmosphere over the mass during the drying process. However, in many cases the bubbles of carbon dioxid which permeate the albumenlump will be found entirely sufficient to prevent decomposition.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to carry my inventioninto effect, I will now describe two examples which embody what I consider the preferable manner of practicing the said invention.

Example 1-Preparaiion of sodium compounds of casct'n.0asein which has been carefully purified by precipitation and, if necessary, by redissolving and reprecipitation is freed as much as possible from the watery liquor by straining, pressing, or centrifugal action. The putty-like and somewhat moist lump or mass thus obtained is then intimately mixed with a mixture of sodium and potassium bicarbonate by adding the said alkaline bicarbonates to the albumen mass in the form of adry powder and then thoroughly working or kneading the whole together in suitable machines. The alkaline bicarbonate is added to the casein in the proportion of from three to four parts of the former to one hundred parts of the well pressed or drained casein ball or lump. As soon as kneading or Working of the mixture has proceeded sufficiently to impart to the mass a uniform, glassy, andfibrous and at the same time spongy or porous condition it is spread out in the shape of flat tablets or plates of suitable form and size and dried in this shape in an atmosphere containing or composed or carbon dioxid with or without the aid of heat.

The putty-like and somewhat moist condition of the casein lump as distinguished from a solution of casein is an essential prerequisite of this process in connection with the use of the alkaline bicarbonate, since it prevents the escape of the carbon dioxid resulting from the mixture of the two ingredients and causes it to permeate the entire mass in the form of numerous minute globules. The casein lump or mass is thereby expanded into a spongy cellular mass containing carbon dioxid in intimate contact with every portion of the casein. Decomposition which would otherwise result from any local or general excess of alkali is thereby effectively checked until the drying process is completed, when the danger of decomposition of the final product, the alkali-casein, is at an end. The atmosphere of carbon dioxid in which the drying process is preferably carried on effectively prevents the escape of any carbon dioxid from the interior, which tendency is further checked, if necessary, by the film or crust which forms on the exterior on drying.

Example f2-Preparatz'on 0f alkali-albumen compound from fish.As an example of this process, the muscle flesh portion of cod is comminuted and then heated with very dilute alkali-lye or with ammonia, and after the digestion has proceeded for several hours the whole is strained or filtered. Acid is then added to the liquor thus drained and in sufficient quantity to precipitate all of the albumen, whereupon the precipitate is thoroughly washed with cold Water to remove all of the acid. The water is then removed as far as possible by straining and pressing or centrifugal action. The ball or lump of albumen which is in a putty-like and somewhat moist condition, is then treated with alkali bicarbonate in a manner similar to example 1. The relative quantities of alkali bicarbonate necessary in this case are the same as in example 1.

Heat is preferably employed in mixing and drying in both cases. The most favorable temperature for mixing the precipitated albumens with the alkali bicarbonate is from to centigrade. This temperature causes the putty-like and somewhat moist mass to be permeated with countless very minute bubbles of carbon dioxid as the albumen combines with the alkali, whereby said mass is made porous and spongy in texture and every minute portion of the same is guarded against decomposition while in a moist state by any excess, local or general, of alkali that may exist. Moreover, this porosity materially facilitates the subsequent drying process. However, the mass may be heated even to temperatures as high as 100 centigrade without incurring the danger of decomposition if only the essential feature of my invention-na1nely, maintaining the putty-like and somewhat moist condition of the albuminous massis maintained, so that the escape of carbon dioxid is prevented.

It will be seen from the above that under my invention, which consists, essentially, in acting on an albuminous mass of a putty-like and somewhat moist (as contradisting'uished from a liquid) consistency with an alkalizing agent and at the same time permeating the entire mass with carbon dioxid, it is not necessary to carefully estimate the proportions of the alkalizing agent or to take particular precautions in heating in order to prevent decomposition due to local or general excess of alkali with or without heat.

It is only necessary to measure the respective proportions approximately and to adjust the temperature roughly, While under the old processes of treating albumens with fixed alkalies even the most careful precautions could not guard against local decompositions on account of the impossibility of effecting an immediate uniform mixture throughout the mass. This marks a decided advantage in the present invention, which renders it possible to produce absolutely pure albumen-alkalies, which are marketable as palatable and durable food products, in an ecomical and simple manner.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is I 1. The process of preparing alkali compounds of albumens which consists in mixing acid albumens in a putty-like and somewhat moist condition with a fixed alkali and concurrently permeating the entire mass with carbon dioxid.

2. The process which consists in mixing an albumen in a putty-like and somewhat moist condition with alkali and concurrently permeating the entire mass with carbon dioxid and then after the same has attained a spongy or porous condition drying in a carbon-dioxid atmosphere.

3. The process of preparing alkali compounds of albumen which consists in mixing acid albumens in a putty-like and somewhat moist condition with bicarbonates of fixed a1- kalies.

4:. The process which consists in mixing acid albumens in a putty-like and somewhat moist condition with dry powdered bicarbonate of fixed alkali and then drying the resultant spongy mass.

5. The process which consists in mixing albumens in a putty-like and somewhat moist condition with dry powdered alkaline bicarbonates and then drying the resultant spongy mass in the presence of a carbon-dioxid atmosphere.

6. The process which consists in mixing an acid albumen in a putty-like and somewhat moist condition with bicarbonate of fixed alkali in the proportions of from three to four parts of the latter to one hundred parts of the former and kneading the whole together at a temperature of from 40 to 50, centigrade, and then after the mass has been thoroughly permeated with carbon dioxid, drying the mass.

7. The process which consists in adding to freshly-precipitated casein in a putty-like condition, fixed alkali bicarbonate, thoroughly mixing and thereupon drying the whole.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

' OTTO SIEBOLD.

W'itnesses LOUIS FnANKE, PAUL ROI-IRE. 

